From digital platforms to institutional mechanisms: Network dynamics driving social governance innovation

Multi-stakeholder networks are central to social governance innovation, yet how specific network structures shape distinct innovation trajectories remains underexplored. This study examines how variations in stakeholder network structures are associated with the divergence between digital platform development and institutional mechanism reform. We construct stakeholder networks from 384 provincial cases, extracting 13,117 stakeholders, and employ supervised machine learning to classify innovation pathways with over 91% predictive accuracy. Linking network structure to innovation outcomes, the results show that networks characterized by high enterprise connectivity are more likely to be associated with digital platform innovation. In contrast, stronger connectivity among government agencies and social organizations is associated with institutional mechanism reform. Broader network properties further condition these patterns. Network diversity is positively associated with institutional innovation, likely by facilitating heterogeneous coordination, but appears less conducive to digital innovation, which tends to rely on more centralized and streamlined structures. By comparison, higher structural inequality is associated with digital platform development while being less supportive of institutional change. These findings highlight a structural trade-off between coordination efficiency and deliberative inclusivity, and suggest that network structure plays a key role in shaping the trajectory of social governance innovation.